A New Destiny
by Kiliani
Summary: Dead for over a few hundred years, a newly awakened Hunter tries to piece together who he was while fitting into a world that isn't the one he remembers. Will he succeed or will he fall like many others before him. Male Human Hunter x Female Awoken Titan x Female Human Warlock X Exo Stranger.
1. Prologue How Things End

**Ch. 1 How Things End**

**Well we got another and this time it is a newly made Destiny story and one that you probably won't see for a while. Be warned that this is will start out in our time before moving into the Destiny universe so don't be surprised to see the character not knowing about an Awoken or an Exo.**

**There is a pairing for this but I am warning you all now that this story will branch out at one point in time. One version will be the ending that you see at the end of the story so far minus the expansions (will cover those when they get released) and the other will actually feature a big twist to everything. As for the pairing, I have decided on a Human Male Hunter and an Female Awoken Titan and an Female Human Warlock and I am thinking of adding the Exo Stranger to it if I can make it believable enough. Pairing won't start for a while though.**

**I will probably catch flak for this story but hey to each their own. Updates will be sporadic as I already have two great stories on my plate but I will do my best to keep this updated as well.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the game I play, all characters and events are copyright of Bungie and Activision.**

**Military convoy en route to ISIS controlled city of Volgograd, June 3****rd**** 2015**

**152****nd**** US-Russian Joint Strike Force**

The APC rolled through the Russian countryside as the four soldiers sat in the back with various emotions going through them. Gabriel Locker, AKA Gabe, looked around at the small team. Junior Lieutenant Sergei Yarnov was the team leader and one of the toughest Russian leaders you will ever see, Sergeant Tiffany Blake was their communications specialist and usually the life of the party and last was Junior Sergeant Viktoria Volkoff, their sniper and the silent but deadly type who never seemed to miss a shot.

Normally as a loner, Gabe would've avoided striking up a conversation but something had been eating at him for a while now. "Sir?" He asked Sergei in a shaking voice. Sergei only turned his dark brown eyes to Gabe with a scowl on his face. Whether he hated Gabe or if that was how he always is then Gabe would never know. "How exactly did they get so far? It was only last year that we heard they were being beaten back."

Sergei merely grunted but Tiffany spoke up. "A whole lot of sleeper cells and blitzkrieg tactics. They used sleeper agents to get into vital areas such as government buildings and then used fast attacks to catch everyone off guard. By the time the country realized what was happening they were already being forced to surrender due to government hostages."

Viktoria snorted in disgust. "They used cowardly tactics in those attacks and now they are using them to try and break Russia. Their latest action did them no favors."

Sergei spoke up with a great amount of hate in his voice. "Behead an entire school for not converting to their side. They only made themselves an even bigger target."

Gabe could only nod in agreement. Since that footage aired, Muslims were flocking to Military recruitment centers faster than anyone thought possible and Muslim nations were denouncing them as evil and vowing to do whatever they can to stamp ISIS off the face of the Earth. "I'm surprised they aren't reduced to rocks and sticks for weapons."

"They still have a few radical backers and don't forget the oil fields they still control. They don't have much but they have enough to keep going." Tiffany said as she typed away on her computer.

Viktoria inserted a clip into her sniper rifle with a loud snap. "They will soon be a few hundred less of them around."

Sergei grunted again before his attention turned on Gabe. "The southern eastern border of Russia isn't as secure as we like. They easily slipped through the holes and into our country."

"I thought that Russia would be prepared for this. You all train in pretty harsh conditions and are some of the toughest fighters around." Gabe said in confusion.

Viktoria scoffed. "They used that damn bull rush tactic but they didn't anticipate us gathering so quickly."

"She's right Corporal, ISIS had planned on being able to get as far as Saratov before Russia reacted." Tiffany said without looking up from the screen.

"They shouldn't have the numbers for that though, that's a big area to cover!" Gabe said in worry.

"They use captured soldiers and territory as buffers. They take a country and then use the country's military in place of their own. When their own movement was halted at Volgograd they had to dig in and now that Russia has begun a siege of the town it won't be long before they are driven out." Sergei said as he turned towards the front. "We will set up on the ridge on the north side of the city and take out any high value targets we see."

"Gladly sir." Viktoria patted the side of her rifle with a smirk.

"We will reach the target area in 5 minutes sir!" The driver said from the front.

"Equipment is up and showing all green." Tiffany said as she double-checked everything.

Viktoria threw her smirk at Gabe. "Think you can handle your duty Corporal?"

Gabe only looked down. "About as well as I can. For once I wish I was back in Afghanistan."

Sergei cracked a smile that made Gabe shiver in fear. "Well then, welcome to Russia and your final resting place."

Gabe nervously gulped and tightened his grip on his rifle while Viktoria started laughing at his face. "Gets them every time sir." She said between laughs.

The computer in Tiffany's hands started going getting fuzzy as she began to type in commands. "Sir we're being jammed." She said as she attempted to fix the static.

"How is that possible?" Sergei shot back with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know, Intel said there wasn't supposed to be anything on our route." She said as her computer glitched before going dead. "Signal lost sir."

"What is-" Sergei was cut off by a loud explosion a few yards from their vehicle.

"Artillery!" The driver said as he swerved off the road.

"Get us out of here!" Sergei yelled but as soon as the driver turned a shell struck the APC and it went airborne before coming to halt on its front and flipping over.

"I think I broke a rib." Gabe said as he pushed himself up. "Yep definitely broke a rib."

"Status report?" Sergei said as he got up and shook his head.

"Equipment is broken and inoperable." Tiffany said as she tried to get up. "I think my leg is broke."

"Driver is down and so is the APC." Viktoria said from her spot.

Sergei opened the back of APC and looked out. "Where did that come from?" He said as he looked around. A loud whistling sound answered as he pulled back inside the APC. "On the ground!"

Everyone got on the ground as explosions began to rumble around them. One lucky round impacted the truck and tore a chunk from it and the next one impacted inside. The last thing Gabe saw was a big explosion and a scream from Tiffany.

**There goes the prologue and don't worry next chapter begins the Destiny Storyline. We will start at a new starting point but the rest of the story will be like canon but I will try to make it a great read.**

**Back in WWII when Pearl Harbor was bombed the US sent Japanese Americans from the coast to intern camps. Many of them volunteered for service in response and fought against their own heritage for our country and did it admirably so it wouldn't be too hard to imagine Muslim Americans have a bout of Patriotism against extremists in their religion if something like that happened. I'm NOT bashing any religion at all and this set up was only for a prologue.**

**Read and Review but keep flaming down to constructive criticism only.**


	2. Chapter 1 How Things Begin

**Ch. 2 How Things Begin**

**To be honest, this chapter wouldn't leave me alone this whole week so I pretty much just said what the hell and went for it. I will make an attempt to incorporate a story mission or a side mission into each chapter and also try to make some up some things that are believable in the Destiny universe.**

**Keep in mind that the Hunter is someone from our time being reborn into the Destiny timeline so expect him to be extremely wary and a little shy about the Exo's, Awoken, interplanetary travel and even the Ghosts and the Traveler and I will make his hesitation as believable as possible. The pairing is set and won't be changed but ideas on how to incorporate the Stranger into it are accepted.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters copyright of Bungie and Activision. (Weren't these two competing for the longest time between Halo and CoD?)**

A small white object was currently flying around the area searching for something. Normally others like him would search more populated or even deep in hostile territory but the call led the flying object to a remote area far away from anything. "Why am I all the way out here?" It asked as it continued to search. The area was completely overgrown with vegetation and yet its partner was somewhere around here and waiting to be reborn again. The object finally stopped at a very large patch of vines that encompassed a hunk of metal that had corroded over time. "Is it possible?" It said as it scanned the patch. "I finally found you." It said before it disappeared.

Only a few seconds later a body started to appear at the wreckage. First came light skin and short blonde hair followed by a clean shaven face and a short yet slightly athletic body that soon rushed with a pulse. The object appeared again after finishing his work and spoke to the figure. "Guardian…..wake up Guardian." It said as the figure began to stir.

"Wake up Guardian." Was the first thing Gabe heard as his eyes opened slowly and pushed himself off the ground. _'What…where am I?' _He thought as he blinked as the slowly fading light of sunset hit him. He rose to his feet shakily as his mind was moving a mile a minute as it restarted. "What…..what happened, where am I?" He asked aloud and was startled when a white object floated in front of him.

"Welcome back to world Guardian." IT said as Gabe backed up to a rock and whipped out a knife on his belt.

"What are you?!" Gabe said as he brandished the knife in front of him. His grip tightened when the object approached.

"I'm a Ghost; well now I'm your Ghost actually. I've been trying to find you for a long time now and you probably have many questions and normally we would be in a hurry to leave the area but since there is no claim to the place I can answer what you ask." The Ghost replied in a friendly tone as Gabe only slightly relaxed.

"What is a Ghost?" Gabe asked as slowly lowered the knife.

"We seek out those that are able to use the Travelers light as a weapon against the darkness." The Ghost replied as Gabe's eyes narrowed.

"Who is the Traveler?" He asked and the Ghost was taken aback.

"How could you not know? The Traveler has been here for over a few centuries already and even those who have died and been reborn know what it is." The Ghost said as it floated around him. "You should know at least about the darkness right?" IT asked as Gabe shook his head.

"I don't know about any darkness." Gabe said as he was getting a headache.

"Do you at least know who you are?" The Ghost asked curiously.

Gabe closed his eyes in thought but his headache was getting bigger. It felt like he had memories that were his but felt foreign at the same time. A moving vehicle with a group of people and an explosion was all he remembered but nothing else. His name was at the front but he could remember it and that bothered him; it was right there but he couldn't make it out. "Everything is right there but I can't explain it." Gabe said sadly.

"Most Guardians don't remember anything at first either but it eventually comes back to them in time. It isn't easy to go from dead back to life but it will get better but for now we have to find a way back to the city." The Ghost said as Gabe frowned.

"The city?" Gabe asked.

"The last free city on earth, built beneath the Traveler, the place where the Guardians reside." The Ghost said as it looked around before looking back at him. "One moment." It said before it disappeared and Gabe looked around before he heard it speak. "I'm still with you but we need to go before we burn the last of the daylight. Let's hope there's still something out here that we can use."

"Where exactly are you?" Gabe asked warily as he turned around and saw nothing.

"Hold out your hand." The Ghost said as he appeared on Gabe's hand.

"What the hell?" Gabe asked as he took a step back.

"I'm in your armor or more specifically your mask's interface. I'll be bale to keep track of your objectives and your shield strength. I'll also guide you on the correct path to our destination but right now I have no idea where to go." Ghost said with a tone of worry.

"I'll help you but I want more answers when this is over." Gabe said as began walking down a grass covered road.

"When we get to the city then your mentor can tell you more but first we need a ride." Ghost said as began to scan the area.

-Scene Change-

The sun had dipped below the horizon and night was fast approaching and yet Gabe walked on. The Ghost continued to scan but held out little hope of finding anything useful. As they moved, Ghost continued to answer what he could and Gabe tried to remember about his past but nothing came up. Hours passed and the night had set in and with it was freezing night weather of the Russian climate.

"We should find somewhere to camp for the night and resume our journey in the morning." Ghost offered but it fell on deaf ears as Gabe walked on. "Or not."

"Where exactly are we going?" Gabe asked as the Ghost was quiet for a moment.

"We need to find a Cosmodrome of some kind, it's the only place I know that may still have what we need." Ghost said as they walked up a steep hill.

"Cosmodrome?" Gabe asked.

"Something like that." Ghost said as they climbed to the top of the hill and saw a tall building in the distance. It was too dark to make it out but Gabe had a feeling that it was what they were looking for. "Why would they build one all the way out here?"

"Maybe it was a prototype." Gabe offered before he began moving towards it. "I still don't trust you or anything you say."

"If you can't trust me then you won't last long against the darkness. I am your Ghost now and we're partners in this so we have to work together and with the others." Ghost said as Gabe stopped.

"How many other Guardians are there?" Gabe asked as he sat down on a rock. He went about the task of building a fire.

"Not as many as we hope but they are slowly growing in numbers." Ghost said as he watched Gabe go about his work.

"How long would it take to reach the building?" Gabe asked as he sat down by the fire.

"It shouldn't take longer than a half a day at the most; we should be at the city by nightfall if it has what we need." Ghost replied as Gabe brought his knees to his chest.

"Let's hope nothing disturbs us then." Gabe said as he began to drift off to sleep.

As Gabe drifted off, his Ghost took a look at him. "He doesn't seem to match the profile of Guardian or know of the Traveler. Something is wrong here but I don't know what it is, could he be from before the Traveler came here….no that's impossible, only those who were able to lay eyes on the Traveler could be chosen to be Guardians but he knows nothing about it." The Ghost continued to ponder this before it too decided it was time to rest. As it powered down it took one last look at its new partner. "You are a mystery but I hope you trust me in the end my new friend…..the light can use all the help it can get." It said as it went dark for the night.

-Scene Change-

"Can this thing fly?" Gabe said as Ghost looked over the oddly shaped craft.

"I can make it work." Ghost said smugly. "Just give me a minute." He disappeared into the craft and a moment later Gabe heard the aircraft start up. "Now about that transmat…...there we go, bringing you in."

Gabe only had a brief second of confusion before he saw himself start to fade before he appeared in the pilot seat. As soon as he hit the seat he doubled over and almost lost his stomach contents. "What was that?" He wheezed.

"Transmatting, it involves breaking someone or something down into tiny parts and reconstructing them in another place. You're going to have to get use to it as it is the only way to leave the ship." Ghost said as he released the cables holding the ship and set a course for the city. "You also might want to familiarize yourself with the ship controls as well; you're the one who will direct it in orbit. Ghosts can only do so much you know."

"I understand." Gabe said simply. He was extremely nervous right now and for good reason, he had only a little more understanding of his life but what he knew was nothing even remotely close to what was happening now and that was scaring him. He knew for a fact he wasn't in a time he use to be and once he learned all of who he was he had a growing certainty that he would be an outcast among his peers. He had no doubt that they were born around the time of this Traveler his Ghost spoke of and he was wasn't even around when it first came here. He had a sinking feeling that his new life was about to go from bad to worse but the question was how?

**Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and as a gift here is another chapter of A New Destiny. I tried to stick to my format as close as I could and I think I pulled it off well. Keep in mind that this is a sporadic update until either my Halo or my Skyrim stories get done then it will take its place.**

**Nothing much else to say except read and review and tell me what you think and don't forget that I need ideas on how to work the Stranger in here.**

**Till next time my fellow readers!**


	3. Chapter 2 Welcome to the Tower

**Ch. 3 Welcome to the Tower**

**I told you all that inspiration strikes at the weirdest times. I got this while playing Dark Below last night.**

**DLC wasn't that bad in some ways, it gives a good amount of new gear and stuff but was sorely lacking on missions (especially for us Xbox users). I'm not going to hate on it simply for that reason though as I do enjoy the game as a whole.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and Activision.**

The ship flew on into the endless sky. Its occupants crossed mountains and plains and flew through gathering storm clouds that assailed it with winds and rain. The lone human and ghost inside were jostled as the ship rocked back forth like water in a bottle. Yet, they still flew on.

"Have you learned anything else?" Ghost asked as Gabe flipped through a book.

"About the ship or about myself?" Gabe asked as he glanced at Ghost on the console.

"The ship but if you can remember anything else it would help." Ghost replied as Gabe shrugged.

"I try but all I get is faint impressions and things that feel like they belong to me but at the same time I don't know them or the people in them." Gabe replied as Ghost tilted down.

"Don't let it get to you Guardian. It takes time to remember things for all Guardians but it will come in time. Do you know anything how you were personality wise?" Ghost asked and this time Gabe nodded his head a little.

"From what I recall…..usually silent and reserved but I don't know why." Gabe said as Ghost gave a small beep.

"Probably a lone wolf in military service." Ghost replied but Gabe shook his head.

"No…just alone. I don't remember much about military service but from I do know I wasn't in long enough to do much." Gabe replied remorsefully. "There's just so much there and it wants to be known but I can't get my mind to accept it."

"I understand." Ghost said before something else took his train of thought. "You look a little young to be a Guardian."

Gabe put the book down and gave Ghost his attention. "What are you saying?"

"Most Guardians are roughly in their mid-20's and a few are pushing a little over 30 but you look barely older than 21." Ghost explained as Gabe flinched before pulling out a small card from his pocket. It was white and had a faded picture and words but he could make out some of them.

"Something tells me that this is important to that but I don't know why." Gabe said as he looked at the card. There was a slight bump beneath a faded gold sticker but Gabe couldn't think on what it was.

"Looks like an old card but we'll get more information about it from the Tower. Speaking of which, when we get there I will introduce you to Cayde. He is the Mentor for all Hunter Guardians. He is laid-back and calm and he complains about missing being out in the field but he knows where he belongs and that is as a Mentor." Ghost said as Gabe shrugged.

"Anything else I should know?" Gabe asked as the clouds broke and the city came into view. Gabe was awestruck by the sheer size of it but then he noticed a round floating ball hovering above it and he let out a gasp.

"Welcome to the last free city on Earth. It took centuries to build and now we're counting every day that it still stands." Ghost said as the he directed the ship to a tower on the wall. Gabe was still staring at the big white ball floating in the sky before he felt the ship stop and he had barely a second before Ghost transmatted both of them out. Ghost remained hovering in the air while Gabe nearly fell on face from the sudden movement. Many people stopped and stared in his direction when he did this.

"A little warning before that happens would be nice." Gabe said as he stood up. He noticed the people staring and immediately put his down and walked forward trying to hide as much as possible.

"Are you ok?" Ghost asked he floated beside Gabe.

"Not use to being the center of attention nor am I use to standing out." Gabe said as he hurriedly walked down a flight of stairs after his Ghost.

'_So it seems you do remember some things.' _Ghost thought to himself. _'Are you hiding something or do you really not know anything more about yourself?' _

The stairs led to a decent sized room with a few Guardians moving about between two desks on each side of the room and beyond that was another room with consoles lining the walls and a glass pane overlooking a sprawling forest and mountain. Gabe could make out what looked like decent sized turrets on the outer wall. In the center of the room was a long table and three different people were standing around it having a discussion.

"The one in the hood is Cayde-6, he'll be you Mentor. The other two are Commander Zivala, who is the Titan Mentor, and Ikora Rey, who Mentors the Warlocks." Ghost said as the three people didn't even look up at their names being called.

"They seem to be…..very heated." Gabe said as Ikora was clenching her fists on the table.

"They get like this sometimes. It's what they do when they get frustrated at their lack of progress of keeping the Darkness back." Ghost replied as he too looked at them before looking at Gabe. "You can take your hood and mask off here. No one is going to shoot you in the head."

Gabe was about to say something about having an extra buffer between himself and everyone else but that reason died in his throat. He didn't want alienate himself from everyone so he hesitantly removed his hood and took the mask off his face.

"Let's see…..short black hair and dark brown eyes and no wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. No sign of weariness in your eyes and a healthy skin tone. Yea, a little too young for a Guardian." Ghost said as he looked his Guardian over and Gabe put his head down.

"Way to kill my confidence." Gabe said humorlessly.

"That's why I'm here." Ghost said in a light-hearted tone.

The three people at the table were finishing up there argument as Gabe did let out a small chuckle before three heads turned to him and he immediately stopped up and avoided looking at them directly.

"We don't bite Guardian…well I don't know about Zivala or Ikora but I don't." Cayde said as he mentioned him over. "You must be new."

"Yes….sir?" Gabe stumbled out as he saw Cayde's face. Where a face should be was a robotic like faceplate that was cyan in color with a forehead that was colored silver and a cyan tipped piece sticking out in the center of it. In his sockets were cyan colored lights for eyes.

"Something wrong Hunter?" Cayde said as Gabe was still looking at him.

"What are you?" Gabe said and the room went silent.

**Time for a cliffhanger.**

**This story has over 1k views already and it seems to be received well be everyone so thank you for liking it! ^^**

**I know it seems like I am taking too long for a wake up but the game is only about 12 missions long so I have to do something to extend it or else this would wind up being extremely short. We will meet the rest of the Tower people next chapter and we will meet the future love interests of Gabe sometime soon. Expect catfights between the two females and I might even throw in some flirting on Amanda Halliday's part too. The Exo Stranger will be making an appearance during his first mission to get the warp drive as well since people have asked about her since she didn't appear in the Cosmodrome and yes I do have a way to work her into this so don't worry.**

**Same deal as last week, Dovahkin will be out by Friday and Dragoness is a maybe.**

**Read and review and see you all next time!**


	4. Chapter 3 Meeting New People

**Ch.3 Meeting New faces**

**I hope everyone had a great Christmas and didn't wind up in the hospital this time. I did once a few years ago because of a huge sugar intake and ended up with Gastroenteritis and let me just say that it wasn't fun, I seriously felt like my chest and stomach were being stabbed over and over. My advice to everyone is to drink a lot of water to offset the sugar count.**

**The next Destiny expansion comes out in a little over a month so here's hoping we get new planets or something and maybe we learn more about the mysterious Exo Stranger in the process. If Bungie were to elaborate a bit more on her and the organization she is a part of then we could have a nice plot addition to the game as a whole.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters copyright of Bungie and Activision.**

Gabe was very much aware that the eyes in the room turned toward him but his attention was still focused on Cayde and his Ghost only looked down. "He's still suffering from a case of amnesia." Ghost said as Cayde regarded Gabe for a second before nodding.

"Understandable, not many Guardians wake up and not have amnesia for a while but it goes away eventually." Cayde replied as everyone went back to what they are doing. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the others. They aren't your mentor but that doesn't mean they can't help you out when you need it."

"Uh sure…" Gabe replied as he followed Cayde to the table. "Does he always look like that?" Gabe asked Cayde as they walked and pointed to Zavala.

"He is one of those who is pretty rough on the outside but friendly on the inside. He wants his Titans to get the job done but he wants them to do it responsibly. Once you get to know him, you'll understand." Cayde replied as Zavala made no outward acknowledgement that he heard them. "Now Ikora is the one you need to watch for, she's been known to Voidlock someone upside down with their pants down just for looking at her." Cayde finished with a laugh as Ikora threw him a glance.

"She did that to you one time and that was for crashing her prized Sparrow and losing her best Hand Cannon." Zavala said dismissively as Gabe backed away from the table a little.

Zavala was an Awoken with pale skin, completely white eyes and was bald with a few wrinkles on his forehead. His armor was primarily grey and black but had a few places that were red in color. His face had a stern expression and his eyes seem to bore into you and make you look insignificant. '_He looks….dead…and they eyes seem to give the impression that they glow.' _Gabe thought with a small shiver.

Ikora was a human with dark skin, brown hair that looked almost nonexistent and what looked like green eyes. She gave off an aura that portrayed a confidant yet outspoken individual along with a small amount of humor. _'I would rather not be hung upside down.' _Gabe thought with an internal chuckle.

"Whatever you have heard about me Guardian isn't….entirely true." Ikora said as Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't heard anything yet…I just got here." Gabe said as Ikora frowned in thought.

"No one said anything about frogs?" She asked as Gabe shook his head.

"No ma'am, nothing was ever said to me." Gabe replied as Cayde did his best impression at clearing his throat.

"As fun as chatting all day sounds, we do get very busy. Here, take this to the Gunsmith and he'll get you fitted with a weapon and Halliday should be finished with a retrofit of the horse you rode in on." Cayde said as he handed Gabe a small token with an orange V on both sides. "If you need any help or just need work, come and find us and we'll point you in the right direction."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ikora asked impatiently as Cayde tilted his head to the side.

"Oh right, welcome to the Guardians and welcome to the Hunters." Cayde said as he turned around to the table. "Wish I could go back out there but I know where my place is."

"There is a bounty board up the stairs." Ghost said Cayde shook his head.

"If I leave then the new Hunter's won't know where to go to wipe their asses." Cayde said as Zavala almost banged his head on the table.

"You might want to leave before he gets started." Ikora said as Cayde threw her a glance.

"Once he starts, he doesn't let you leave until he's done and that can take hours." Zavala said with a small twitch and Cayde threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Ok…..thank you all for your time." Gabe said awkwardly as he stepped away from the table before he stopped. "One more thing, I found this when I was…resurrected I guess you could say. Do you know what it is?" Gabe asked as he took the card out of his pocket and handed it to Cayde.

"Very old and faded but it looks like an ID card. You found this when your Ghost brought you back?" Cayde asked as Gabe nodded.

"Yea, I just had a feeling that it was important to me." Gabe replied as Cayde turned the card over in his hand.

"I'll see what we can do but I'm not sure we'll get a lot." Cayde replied as he pocketed the card.

"Anything is better than nothing." Gabe replied as he waved before leaving.

"You didn't seem that nervous around Zavala or Cayde." Ghost said as they walked up the stairs to the platform. "Well maybe at the start you did but you warmed up quickly."

"I didn't, they are my commanders so I have to be professional but I was completely worried on the inside. What exactly were they?" Gabe asked curiously.

"Zavala is an Awoken, a deep space race that generally walks the fine line between factions. They do their best not to cross the line and keep to themselves but every now and then one of them will cross it. Some people say that they are waiting for something and others believe that they are just there to watch." Ghost explained.

"And Cayde?" Gabe questioned again.

"He's a member of a machine race called Exo. The came around a few decades before the Traveler but no one knows why they were built. Some believe they were part of an ancient war and others seem to think they were built to serve but no one knows exactly. Just because they might be machine doesn't mean they don't feel though so don't tick them off." Ghost replied as Gabe nodded.

"Do they have skin or is just a bunch of metal under that clothing?" Gabe asked and this time his Ghost tilted on his side.

"I guess you could call it that. It's like a type of synthetic metal that mimic's the properties of regular skin but it's more durable and before you ask they don't have normal blood like Humans or Awoken; it's more a special liquid that keeps their bodies operating." Ghost replied sagely.

"So they are like us other than the fact that they have parts instead of organs?" Gabe asked again and someone else answered.

"You would be correct on that." A rough voice said and Gabe jumped about 10 feet backward.

"For a new Guardian, you're awfully jumpy and unaware." The stranger said as Gabe shook his head.

"And you are?" Gabe asked curiously with a hint of a guarded tone.

The Exo regarded him for a second before it shook its head. "Banshee-44 and I am the tower gunsmith and you look like a new person who doesn't know how to fire a weapon."

"I wouldn't have picked him if I didn't think he could handle it." Ghost said in Gabe's defense.

"Fair enough, but now I got a question. What's your preference?" Banshee asked Gabe who raised an eyebrow. "Weapon preference; Hand Cannon, Auto Rifle, Pulse Rifle or Scout Rifle?"

"Whichever is great for long range I guess?" Gabe said as Banshee stared at him.

"Kid, let me tell you this; not every fight is going to allow you to be far away but since you're a Hunter, a Scout Rifle might be a good start." Banshee replied as he handed Gabe a white rifle with a decent scope and a very light weight.

"It feels…very light and easily breakable." Gabe replied as he held the rifle in a firing position and pointed to the wall. Decent range..." Gabe said as he gave a nod to Banshee before he fired a test shot at the wall. "And recoil balance is pretty good."

"For you right now it is but you'll quickly find other weapons in the field but some of them you won't be able to know about right away. For that, the Cryptarchs can help but it's best not to bother them until you got something." Banshee said as he walked behind the counter. If you find anything out there that I can use, I'll be sure to pay you for them."

"I'll do that." Gabe said as he walked away from the stand. "Where to next?"

"The last stop is the Shipwright. It's just over here." Ghost said as he led Gabe through a hall that lead to a docking bay and for the second time that day Gabe was awestruck at the size of the hanger.

"You could fit a football field in here." Gabe said and his Ghost looked at him.

"What's a football?" Ghost asked as Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"I…..don't know. I just…felt like saying it." Gabe replied as his face fell. "I just say or do things but I don't know why."

Ghost only bobbed up and down a little. "Don't get yourself down, you'll remember sometime."

Gabe nodded and followed his Ghost. "That is where the Vanguard Armory is but you don't have access to it yet. When you complete your first mission then you will be added into the system but for now you're a Guardian in name only." Ghost said as they walked past a desk with a robot typing away on a computer with various weapons and armor behind it. "And that is Halliday, the Shipwright."

Halliday was a human female with wild blonde hair and green eyes and she had a small bit of either dirt or grease on her right cheek but Gabe couldn't tell. She was speaking to other dock workers from her spot sitting on a stack of crates. She looked up when Gabe and his Ghost walked up. "You must be a new Guardian, we get plenty of those but you seem a little different."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me." Gabe replied a little more upbeat. He actually felt comfortable around Holliday but maybe that was because she always had some kind of happy expression.

She looked him over with her eyes before she gave a small grin. "Aren't you a little young? Don't tell me that kids who haven't passed school can be Guardians now."

Just like that Gabe put his head down. "Do you have my ship or not?" He asked tiredly. He was tired of people calling him young and he was tired of being pulled all over the place and worst of all he had no idea that there were other races besides Humans. He just wanted to get his gear all set and find somewhere to sleep.

"I'm just playing with you kid and the answer to that is not yet. It's an old ship; to be frank it's older than the ones I usually get so it's going to take a day to make it stable. Bear in mind that unless you have a warp drive it won't break orbit" Holliday said as Gabe raised an eyebrow and Holliday sighed. "It's how you move from planet to planet."

"Alright I think I understand, when do you think it'll be ready?" Gabe asked and Holliday gained a thoughtful expression.

"By tomorrow by the looks of it so if you can hold tight till then it'll be ready." Holliday said as Gabe looked down again.

"I see…well please take your time Miss Holliday. I'm in no rush to get going." Gabe said as Holliday chuckled a bit.

"Just call me Amanda kid." Amanda replied as Gabe nodded.

"Gabriel or Gabe is fine." Gabe said but Holliday laughed.

"You look like a kid so kid it is." she said as Gabe sighed and his Ghost gave a small laugh. "Stop taking stuff so personally, it's not a bad thing it just means you need to be a little more careful. Other Guardians have more experience due to their ages but you look completely fresh out of a training camp. I don't even consider you green and that's saying something." she finished as Gabe's confidence was just completely shot.

"I….." he started but couldn't finish.

"Listen kid; take everything with a grain of salt. We're all just looking for anything we can use to lighten our moods these days. Enemies are all around the city and you Guardians are our only real defense and any time we can cut back and relax like this is extremely valuable." Amanda said as Gabe raised his head. "I'm not saying that to be mean, even though it's true, I'm saying it to get you to smile a little because that's all we have nowadays. We like to joke around here and laughter is the best medicine to anything."

'The Darkness grows each day and we lose hope with it. You have to take advantage of these moments or else you won't last out there." Ghost said as Gabe thought it over.

"I guess, I am a little green but that doesn't mean I can't fight." Gabe said as Holliday nodded.

"See, that's the spirit kid. Keep your chin up and your sense on full alert and you'll do just fine here." Amanda replied as Gabe did smile a little. "Now enough with this doom and gloom, there's a bar just down the stairs. Wanna grab a drink?" she asked as Gabe thought about it.

"I…..don't think I can." he finally said as Holliday looked confused.

"And that is?"

"I think I'm a little too young for alcohol." he replied as she looked at him again.

"You haven't finished growing yet so I guess you're right. Damn, well you could always get water or a soda while I throw one back. I'll pay if you can't." she offered and this time Gabe shrugged.

"Don't see why not, got nothing better to do." he said as she jumped down. What made him put his head down was the fact that he barely came to her shoulders.

"Kid's a shrimp…..you just might be the shortest Guardian ever." Amanda commented as Gabe felt down again. "We really need to work on your people skills."

Gabe shook his head and held in a laugh. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all….until he found out that Holliday was very flirty when she drank.

-Scene Change-

Gabe stumbled tiredly into his assigned room in the tower barracks. It was a plain room with only a small bed on one wall and a desk on the other with a window looking over the forest to the north but it felt roomy despite its small size. Off to the side of the desk was a small room with a sink, a small toilet and a shower. A small nightstand was on the left side of the bed.

"Small but cozy, I think we'll be right at home here." Ghost replied as Gabe fell onto the mattress and looked at the grey ceiling. Outside the window, the sun was quickly setting and it painted the room with a nice orange color.

"Yea…..can I ask you something?" Gabe asked as his Ghost looked at him from its place on the nightstand.

"What's up?"

"Why me?" Gabe asked bluntly.

"To be honest, I don't know. We don't have an explanation, only a feeling about the Guardian we are looking for. Whether it ends up good or bad is anyone's call but we always know who we are looking for." Ghost said as Gabe focused on the ceiling.

"In other words, I might not even be here if you didn't have a feeling about me?" Gabe asked again.

"Correct, but like I said we are never wrong about who we pick. Even if it means we die, we stick by our chosen Guardians." Ghost replied as Gabe nodded before he crossed his arms behind his head. "We should get some sleep, we got a busy day tomorrow."

"I agree and by the way, thanks." Gabe said as Ghost only beeped.

"It's what I do." Was all Ghost said before Gabe fell asleep and Ghost powered down for the night.

**And an extra long chapter for all my readers!**

**We got to meet some of the people on the tower and we even got a good starting point for next chapter. The conversation between Holliday and Gabe were nothing more than playful banter but I might do some more flirting between them later on. What do you all think about that?**

**Think of the Exo's having a metal type skin that feels like plastic but mimics the properties of our skin. I know it's tough to imagine but think of the T1000 from the Terminator 2 but more grey in color than what it is in the movie and make it seem like actually skin but plastic feeling. Hence the term Synthetic metal skin and their body liquid is more of a special liquid that keeps them moving like oil but not the same black color, it's more of a blueish color.**

**Read and review and I'll see you all next time!**


	5. Chapter 4 Trial Mission

**Ch. 4 Trial Mission**

**Yes, we are finally getting to the first mission for a Guardian. We also meet the first of four love interests for our very young Guardian. Expect his youth to be a common running gag throughout the story as well.**

**On another note, I am pleased to announce that my Halo story has reached 100 reviews! That achievement is something I have hoped for ever since I started writing on here and to finally break that is tremendous and I want to thank all of my readers for helping to achieve that. Thank you all for the support and here's to another hundred more!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and Activision. **

Gabe cracked an eye open as the lights of the city pierced through the darkness outside. A quick glance at a clock on a table told him that was still very early in the morning. _'Did I always wake up at 5?' _he thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes. After pulling himself off the bed he stumbled around until he found the latrine and after a quick splash of water to his face he was awake and alert. A quick glance showed him that Ghost was still asleep or in a powered down state and Gabe briefly thought of waking him up but he decided against it.

A brief stroll out the door and down a small hallway had him back at the Guardian tower landing platform and it was surprising to see people moving around at this time of the morning but with all the ships still landing and taking off he expected it.

"You know that it's five in the morning right?" Ghost said as he appeared beside Gabe.

"I know but for some reason…..I had to get up." Gabe replied as he looked at his Ghost.

"Did you have any military experience in your past?" Ghost asked as Gabe shook his head.

"I don't know…..I really don't." Gabe said as his Ghost dipped a little in acknowledgement.

"Well then let's go see Holiday. She probably has our ship ready." Ghost said as Gabe nodded and walked up the steps and down the hall to the hanger.

-Scene Change-

"So this is a trial mission?" Gabe asked as he plotted a course for an old Cosmodrome that was still holding a warp drive.

"Yes, we have plenty of warp drives in storage for Guardians but we use the procurement of a warp drive as a test mission to see if the new Guardians can handle the field. If they perform well but can't get a warp drive then one is given upon return to the Tower." Ghost said as Gabe sighed.

"Think we'll find anything out here?" Gabe asked as Ghost thought for a moment.

"I don't know but let's hope we do. There's so little left that isn't foraged or scrapped but I have a good feeling." Ghost said as Gabe looked out of the cockpit and sighed.

'_I have a bad feeling about this.' _Gabe said as a courtyard came into view. They had reached the Cosmodrome and it was go time.

"Ready?" Ghost asked as the ship reached a small plateau. "Try to keep your food in this time."

Gabe sent Ghost a death look that would've melted him if it was deadly. "Do I get a warning this-" Gabe was transmatted before he finished speaking and immediately went on one knee as he hit the ground and dry heaved. "Damn…you…Ghost."

"It isn't that bad…..how do you expect to impress Holliday or any of the other Guardians if you can't handle transmats." Ghost asked smugly as Gabe growled.

"I'm going to kill you one of these days." Gabe muttered lowly. A quick glance around told him that this place had seen better days. Only a couple spots where a road use to pass through were nothing more than patches of asphalt and the vehicles on them were nothing more than a pile of scrap. Looking through his scope, Gabe saw some weird looking people with four arms and eyes sifting through the wreckage and others were standing guard with odd-looking weapons that Gabe was sure he had never seen before.

"The Fallen are heavily defending this area but no one knows why. A Guardian ship was shot down a few hundred meters ahead of us. It might be a good place to start." Ghost said as Gabe nodded and loaded his rifle.

"Enemies to our right at the trucks and it looks like some are hidden behind a rock to our left." Gabe replied as looked through his scope. "20 feet ahead and no wind, 2 hanging out of cover and easy targets." Gabe said to himself as he got a Dreg in his crosshairs.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ghost asked as Gabe took the shot and was rewarded with the Dregs head coming off.

"I think I do…" Gabe replied as he moved forward and fired.

-Scene Change-

"It's a map of the entire area….and it looks like the only place with a wrap drive is back into an old hanger." Ghost said as Gabe checked around a corner in the room. He could've sworn he heard some moving around down below but brushed it off as his nerves.

"Can you hurry?" Gabe asked as he was getting impatient.

"Yes, we need to go back up to ground level then into the old hanger." Ghost said as he returned to Gabe.

"Alright, let's get going. The sooner we are out of here the better." Gabe said as he made his way out of the room.

"Just because you missed quite a few shots doesn't mean you aren't a good Guardian. You have some nerve issues and you get scared to pull the trigger but you have good instincts and you can spot a target from miles away. I didn't even have any clue on the vandal behind the ship until you pointed him out." Ghost said as Gabe did smile a bit at the end.

"It was like a sixth sense that told me he was there." Gabe said weakly as Ghost beeped in thought.

"You also seemed to get a good lock on your enemies even behind cover and you knew where they were going before me. I think I figured out your role; you're a spotter. You have poor accuracy but you can find and spot enemies before I can even see them." Ghost said with enthusiasm. "We can work on your accuracy; we just need to get you more experience."

"And how would we do that?" Gabe asked as they ascended the stairs and stepped back into the sunlight.

"Next time we are in the Tower, I am going to find you a mentor." Ghost said. "Before you ask, there are quite a few Hunter's among the Guardians and many of them would be more than happy to impart some knowledge to new Guardians. If I can find one that can show you how to be a Hunter then you'll be shooting straight in no time."

"Yea….sure. I am guessing we go up those steps and into the building right?" Gabe asked as he pointed to a set of metal stairs that led into a building on the far end of the courtyard. "And it's right by all those Fallen."

"I never said being a Guardian was easy. Just take a deep breath and relax and you'll be fine." Ghost said as Gabe began a slow and silent walk to the steps. They had a good run until the first step gave a small squeak and Gabe was forced to run up the steps and hide behind a small patch of the wall that had been blasted out.

"I really don't want to know what happened here do I?" Gabe asked as he broke cover and fired a few rounds. One lucky round managed to hit a Shank and it went out of commission.

"Not really." Ghost said simply as Gabe fired a few more times before running through the door and into a room with a big ditch in the center of it. "The good news is we are close to a warp drive but the bad news is it already in Fallen hands, I hope you're ready for this." Ghost replied as Gabe pushed deeper into the building before coming to a staircase leading down and into a small storage hanger.

"Those cables were recently used." Gabe said as he pointed out a couple cables that hung lifelessly on the wall to his left. He was about to turn around until he heard something moving in the walls. "We aren't alone in here."

"It's in the walls!" Ghost said as a large figure emerged from a hole in the far wall.

It was larger than a Vandal with grey and tan armor and red scarf that connected to a sash that went down the front and back of his armor. His helmet was grey and had horn-like ends at the side of it and eight holes in the front that looked like lights for viewing with tubes that connected to it like a breathing mask. In two of its four arms it held a large rifle that looked like it was made specifically for the purpose of killing Guardians.

The Archon spoke in a weird language before lifting the large rifle and firing at Gabe, who ducked behind a pillar.

"What the hell is that?" Gabe asked as rounds continued to hit the ground near his feet.

"It's an Archon, one of the Fallen leaders." Ghost said as Gabe's mask hid his face but Ghost knew that Gabe was close to sweating.

"You mean we have to fight it?!" Gabe asked a long metal stick with blue sparks appeared in his vision. His eyes went wide before he made a break for the door in front of him as the grenade blew and energy scorched the ground where he was only a few seconds ago as soon as he put his back to the wall he slid down in hopelessness. "You didn't tell me that I would be facing one of them!"

"You need to calm down. Losing your head will only get you killed, take a deep breath and relax. Archons are tough but they are far from invincible. It'll take more shots to bring down but you can do it. You just need to calm down and relax." Ghost said soothingly as Gabe shook his head. "Listen, being a Guardian is never easy nor is it fair but it can be done. If everything gets worse I can pull us out of here and back into orbit but we can do this. If you want me to I can contact the Tower for help and in most cases it would be the standard policy for Archons but I know you can do this."

Gabe remained as silent as the rounds stopped hitting the wall and a Vandal crept forward with its rifle pointed forward. Gabe saw him coming on his motion tracker and slowly stood up and drew his knife.

5 seconds, Gabe gripped the knife tightly in his right hand.

4 seconds, Ghost silently watched from his place in Gabe's armor as Gabe steadied himself.

3 seconds, the Vandal crept closer to the doorway and its trigger finger was itching.

2 seconds, Gabe had a bead of sweat drop into his face that he ignored and waited silently.

1 second, the muzzle of the Vandals rifle appeared in the doorway and Gabe struck out with the knife.

The knife penetrated the Vandals mask as its head appeared in the doorway. I hissing sound of air being released met Gabe's ears as the Vandal dropped in front of the door. "It's never easy but nothing worth doing ever is." Gabe said as Ghost beeped in acknowledgment.

"That's the spirit, now let's show them who runs this place." Ghost said as Gabe cracked a smile.

Quick as lightning, Gabe tore from his cover and fired shot after shot. He was rewarded when his enemies started to drop and a few lucky rounds hit the Archon and made it stagger. Gabe moved from cover to cover, never staying in one place for too long and continued to fire at the Archon and soon the Archon began to anger. _'Keep moving and firing, don't give the enemy time to get a sight on you. Low and fast and you will survive.' _Gabe heard in his head as he moved. His shields did take a few rounds but Gabe shrugged them off as he moved. _'They will start to wise up to what you are doing but don't let that get you.' _He heard as the Archon began to cut off Gabe's runs. _'There is a reason the Army gives you grenades, they are your best friend in surprise attacks.' _An incendiary grenade appeared in Gabe's hand as he primed and threw it. The Archon was forced to duck behind cover but he wasn't able to escape the blast completely. Heat tore through its armor and its flesh began to burn and soon it began to howl in agony as it tried to find its target. Gabe crept silently behind cover as the Archons eyes roamed the room, its flesh was burnt from the grenade its spoke angrily through its mask as though challenging Gabe to come out.

As soon as Gabe was behind it, he leapt onto a crate then jumped on the Archon with his knife in his hand. The Archon howled in fury as it tried to grab Gabe using its lower arms but was unsuccessful as Gabe held on tightly. _'The bigger they are.' _"The harder they fall!" Gabe shouted as he plunged his knife into the Archon's neck. The mask and helmet covered much of the Archon but the back was protected only a small padding a cloth and it began to howl as Gabe twisted the knife deeper and black blood began to pour out of the wound. He quickly brought the knife out and immediately stabbed it into the other side as the Archon screamed this time and dropped to its knees. Gabe leapt off its back and walked around to face it. Its arms hung at its sides as it stared back at Gabe and Gabe stared right back. No words passed between them as one of the Archons arms reached behind it and pulled out a small device. In silent thanks, Gabe nodded his head as a sign of respect before placing a hand on it as the Archon did the same.

The Archons hands then fell to its sides as it fell down and stopped moving, leaving Gabe with the drive in his hands.

"What was that?" Ghost asked as he appeared beside Gabe.

Gabe turned to his Ghost. "Respect between two warriors. He regarded me as a coward until I started fighting back and in turn he saw me as an equal."

"Respect between two warriors…..he was friendly at the end?" Ghost asked as footsteps were heard above them. Reinforcements came but they weren't needed now.

"I guess so….." Gabe replied as the steps grew closer.

"You can turn enemies into friends can't you." It wasn't a question.

Gabe didn't reply as three Guardians came into sight.

-Hanger overlook-

A pair of blue lights watched as the battle ended between the Guardian and the Archon. Curiosity gave way to hopelessness as the Hunter hid behind the wall and his shots fell harmlessly against the back wall but then intrigue appeared as he seemed to go into another level and enemy after enemy fell until he faced the Archon. The tactics were simple but effective and now there was one less Archon in the universe as it lay at the Guardians feet.

"He has potential but his confidence needs a lot of work." The figure spoke into a comm. An inaudible reply followed. "I do have a recording; analyze it when I get back."

She turned back to the Guardian only to see him stare back at her cloaked position like he knew she was there. She watched as he turned back to another Guardian and said something and she took the opportunity to leave.

-Scene Change-

"He needs a lot of help in the confidence area." Cayde mulled as he finished watching the recording from Gabe's Ghost. Gabe was told to check in at the medical wing just encase he missed anything when doing some minor treatment and his Ghost came here.

"It's like he's scared to pull the trigger at times." Ghost replied as he put himself back together. "He can spot an enemy better than most but pulling the trigger is the problem."

"He's inexperienced." Zavala said with a frown. "He isn't a bad Guardian, he just he needs help in many areas."

"His age is the problem; he's still young and isn't even a full adult yet." Ikora stated simply.

"His medical tests came back then?" Ghost asked curiously.

"Yes, they pegged his age to be around 19-20 but I'm putting my Glimmer on the former by a few months." Cayde replied smoothly.

"That young….are you sure that it's a good idea to let him remain as a Guardian?" Ghost asked with a tone of worry. "He can still do his job, he just needs mentoring."

"The Speaker already accepted him so it's not our call. He's a full Guardian now and we can't stop him. I'll look into getting him some help with his skills but for the time being it might be best to put him on a fireteam." Cayde said as Ghost audibly sighed in relief.

"Whatever helps him get better is more than welcome." Ghost said thankfully. "What about the card he gave you?"

"We are working on it but it's an old piece of equipment so it's going to take some time." Cayde replied as Ghost dipped a little before thanking them and flying off.

"The youngest Guardian in our history and yet he is extremely fragile. Tread carefully Cayde; his still growing mind is easily susceptible to manipulation." Ikora said with a hint of caution. "Especially by the other factions in the city."

"We'll keep an eye on him." Cayde replied. "Any thoughts on a team he could be placed on?"

-Scene Change-

"Somehow, I knew that I was younger than I thought." Gabe said as he lay in bed. Ghost finished his summary of the events with the Vanguard mentors while Gabe was being examined.

"At least you have a number." Ghost replied calmly. "Most likely, they'll stick you on a team to help you build experience."

"Great, more cracks about my age." Gabe said sadly as Ghost beeped.

"Your confidence in your allies is greatly appreciated." Ghost said with a tone of humor. "Listen, you can always talk to everyone if you need to vent or need help. We are all one big happy family here and we help each other. You might be inexperienced but that can easily be overcome by hard work and a helping hand."

"I know…..we sure gave them hell huh?" Gabe said with a small grin as Ghost perked up.

"That was all you partner and yes you did. The youngest Guardian in the Vanguard history and the youngest to face an Archon by themselves and live, you've already made history." Ghost replied as Gabe snorted.

"Here's to more history making battles." Gabe replied as he held out a fist and Ghost bumped against it.

"I look forward to it partner!" Ghost replied as he powered down and Gabe was still grinning when he fell asleep.

**Let's end it here shall we? Of course we shall. I was originally going to write a dialogue between Gabe and the three Guardians but then I figured out that it would've given away more of my plot then I wanted so I cut it out. Gabe finally has a number to put his age on and as I said expect it to be a running gag throughout the story.**

**I don't do descriptions well but the place he was at was the default Cosmodrome where everyone goes to in the game so I didn't feel the need to explain it in detail or else the entire chapter would be nothing but a description of the level.**

**Read and review and I will see you all for Dovahkiin this week!**


	6. Chapter 5 New Team and Old Problems

**Ch. 5 A New Team and Old Problems**

**Well its that time of the week for another chapter! This story certainly has a good following so far and no since in stopping now so let's get it going.**

**In other news, part one of my Chrissy back story has been posted so if you like Chrysalis from MLP then go check it out. Also, I have made my outline for my D3 story but I'm holding it off until I get either my Halo or Skyrim story done.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and Activision. Shout out to the guy who gave me the perfect Hunter field mentor for Gabe. **

-With the Vanguard Mentors-

"So we are in agreement then." Cayde replied as he glanced over two dossiers on the table. "Are you both sure about these two?"

Zavala and Ikora nodded. "We needed Guardians closer to his age but who have a some experience so we had to do some digging." Ikora stated simply.

"Any reason why they are both female?" Cayde asked and if he had eyebrows they would've been raised. "He needs help, not eye candy."

"He needs confidence in himself before his skills can improve." Zavala said. "They aren't there to be eye candy, they are there to kick his ass if he can't keep up."

Cayde shook his head. "Pushing him too hard as won't do anything but break him. His age is still the biggest obstacle in this; he's just too young to be a Guardian in the capacity he needs to be."

"Could we put him in another role?" Ikora asked as Cayde turned to her. "Only until he gets older ad can handle it."

"And what role would that be?" Zavala asked curiously.

"Hmm...the Warlocks could use a target for their Nova Bomb practice." Ikora said out loud as Cayde glared at her.

"Out of the question! My Hunter's aren't your playthings Ikora!" Cayde almost yelled out as Ikora laughed.

"Well...Holliday could use another pair of hands in the hanger and plus the kid seemed to grow on her." Zavala stated but Cayde shook his head again.

"Apparently he saw Holliday in her drinking mood...the news at the bar was that he was completely red and very uncomfortable around her." Cayde said as Ikora didn't try to contain a laugh.

"It's not the first time she did that." Zavala remarked with a flinch. "She has no filter when she's drunk."

Cayde sighed and it sounded like grinding gears. "So he's stuck as a Guardian then...I'll agree to this but I am adding one more to the mix." he finished as he placed another dossier on the table. "He's a 7 year veteran Hunter and one of the best we have. He'll be the team leader and Gabe's field mentor."

Zavala and Ikora looked over the dossier before nodding.

-Scene Change-

"There ya go kid, one ship complete and warp ready." Holliday said as Gabe let out a sigh of relief.

"How much do I owe you?" Gabe asked worriedly as Holliday snorted.

"The Vanguard pay for the Guardians so it's free...but if you want to repay me..." she trailed off as she looked at Gabe again.

Gabe frantically shook his head. "No no no no not going to happen."

Holliday grinned. "I was going to ask you to buy me a drink; you seriously need to keep your mind out of the gutter around us ladies or you're going to be alone for the rest of your life."

Gabe deadpanned. "You're the one who tried to jump me in the bar a week ago."

Holliday kept grinning. "Ladies can get away with that kid but men can't though you are more of a boy than a man."

"Says the lady who is a shameless flirt when drunk." Gabe replied as Holliday laughed.

"See, you are starting to get the hang of things around here." Holliday said as Gabe rubbed the back of his head. "If you do want to hang out sometime though...I can always make time." she said with a wink that made Gabe give a weird shiver.

"Ummm I'll keep that in mind..." Gabe said awkwardly as he turned and walked away quickly. Leaving Holliday laughing on the platform.

"She is...weird." Gabe said as Ghost appeared.

"That's just Holliday being Holliday." Ghost said calmly. "It is good to see that you are warming up around her."

"Why is everyone making a big deal over an Archon?" Gabe asked curiously.

"Archon's are the protectors of the Houses Servitor. When an Archon falls then the Servitor becomes vulnerable and it gives us a chance to either reduce a House to a few numbers or completely destroy one. The Vanguard have been working overtime to find the Servitor now that there is one less Archon." His Ghost replied as Gabe gave a sigh.

"Something doesn't feel right." Gabe said as his Ghost stopped and looked at him. "The Fallen have more than enough numbers to take Earth but instead they are focusing in areas around the City. Even more, they haven't even tried to lay siege to it; it just doesn't add up to me."

His Ghost actually tilted a little in thought. "I don't know...it does seem like they are waiting for something. Most Guardians have reported that the Fallen haven't really been that interested in fighting and some of them have ignored Guardians altogether."

"Do Houses fight each other?" Gabe asked curiously.

"Sometimes they do but its usually over territory and sometimes its because one wants to bring the other under their heel. Why do you ask?" His Ghost replied as Gabe shrugged.

"On the last assignment we had to investigate a Fallen camp that had appeared but when we got there it looked like it was already raided. What was confusing was the fact that we found both the banner of the Devils on a tent and a Winter banner on a Dreg. I asked the team lead but he only said to focus on the task and nothing else." Gabe said as his ghost dipped a little in acknowledgment.

"It happens and there are some rumors of a Fallen House that successful absorbed five other Houses into it a couple decades ago but we haven't found anything that confirms it. The House of Blades I believe they were called in the reports." His Ghost replied dismissively.

Gabe shook his head. "Nothing is that simple; it means that they have done extremely well to hide their tracks. Rumors have to start somewhere so it's very possible that something like that exist but they are keeping themselves close to the vest."

"Are you sure about that?" His Ghost asked worriedly. "You aren't saying that to scare me right?"

"Just because you only have rare findings from Fallen communications doesn't mean it doesn't exist. They are being smart and waiting for something to happen and the fact they haven't moved an inch means that they are content to wait." Gabe said as his Ghost deflated.

"Great, there's a House out there that could come in and kill us at anytime." His Ghost said as Gabe chuckled a bit.

"Then let's live like we are dieing." Gabe said with a smile as his Ghost bobbed in agreement.

"Let's go meet your permanent team...and please keep your mind out of the gutter." His Ghost teased as Gabe tried to grab him. He merely floated higher and zoomed away as Gabe gave chase.

"Get back here you floating flashlight!" Gabe shouted as he chased Ghost down. A small smile tugged at his lips the entire time.

-Scene Change-

Gabe stared at the two Guardians in front of him nervously. Both were female and both looked like they could kill him easily if they wanted.

One was an Awoken with ashen gray skin and dark red hair with even darker blue eyes that seemed to glow with some kind of light. Her armor was white and blue with what looked like three blue holographic sashes on her waist. Normal Titan armor was made to be bulky but hers was a little bit more form fitting but not enough to be a distraction. Underneath it was a lithe form that was both nimble enough to be flexible and powerful enough to break something in half if she chose to.

The other was a Human with light blonde hair and bright green eyes that reminded Gabe of a forest. Her Warlock coat was midnight black with dark leg armor and boots. A dark red Warlock bond rested on her left arm. Like the Awoken's armor hers was also form fitting but it seemed to accentuate her curves more than normal. Her body was more like a runners but it belied her natural abilities with the Void magic of the Warlocks.

Both the females began to heavily scrutinize Gabe and he began to visibly shake a little as his nerves began to act up. _'Women can be even more intimidating than men if they wanted.' _he thought worriedly as they finished their observations.

"You aren't really much to look at. Are you sure he's a Guardian?" The Human asked as Gabe felt like someone drove a knife into him.

"He is young but he did kill an Archon." Ikora said as the Warlock raised an eyebrow. "On his trial no less."

"He doesn't even look fully grown yet." The Warlock protested as Gabe sunk lower in his mind.

"Enough Theresa." Ikora said as Theresa fell silent.

"I have to agree with her, are you sure he belongs here?" The Awoken spoke with a wispy voice. Now Gabe's self-esteem was back at rock bottom.

"Avora." Zavala said simply but there was a small tone of warning and Avora said no more.

Cayde saw Gabe look crestfallen and gave him a small pat on the back. "Ignore them Hunter, you have done well for yourself in the last week. Every team we sent you with have always came back with good reports about you. You still need some help in your accuracy but many of the Guardians have good things to say about your scouting abilities and your skills with a knife will make you a perfect fit for a Bladedancer when you get there." Gabe perked up a little at that. "There you go now we need some introductions."

Theresa nodded her head but her skepticism was still clear in her eyes. "My name is Theresa or Terri as some Guardians call me." Theresa said as she gave him barely anything more than a passing glance.

"Avora or Avo if you wish." Avora said simply.

"Uh...I'm Gabriel or Gabe if you want. I am a Hunter and I hope to work well with you two." Gabe said as he held out a hand but they stared at him like he was crazy and he slowly retracted it and looked down.

"How young is he?" Theresa asked Ikora as Gabe closed his eyes and waited.

"We believe that he is about 19 years old." Zavala stated and Theresa looked at him before she laughed.

"Oh...hahahaha...that's a good one...hehehe...19 years old..." Theresa trailed off as she clutched her sides in laughter. After a few minutes she stopped and tried to catch her breath. "So how old is he really?" she asked again with a some laughter still present in her voice. When no one spoke again she stopped laughing and looked stunned. "You aren't joking?" Ikora shook her head.

"His medical exam confirmed it." Ikora stated as Theresa look from Gabe to Ikora and back.

"He's still a kid!" Theresa nearly shouted. "Guardians are meant to be defenders, not babysitters!"

Gabe couldn't take anymore and left the room as fast as he could. A memory played in his head the whole time.

_-Memory-_

"_You got be shitting me! You're only 17 Private?" A man in digitized camo and a brown Campaign Hat (for those who seen those first hand they are what Drill Sergeants wear) said to a Soldier in front of him._

"_Yes Drill Sergeant!" A young Private said._

"_We aren't here to babysit! We are here to train adults to be Soldiers!" The Drill Sergeant responded. "Why the hell are you here?"_

"_To be a Soldier Drill Sergeant!" The Private responded. The Drill Sergeant looked at him for a moment._

"_Private if you even last a minute here then I will be surprised. We don't accept kids here so you better work hard or you leave all your crap in your locker and be off post by dawn." The Drill Sergeant said before he moved on and the Private felt like he had failed something._

_-End memory-_

"Ghost can you get us into orbit, I don't feel like sleeping in the City tonight." Gabe said as he sat down by a small tree in the courtyard.

"Ok partner." Ghost said as he transmatted Gabe out of the City. "Are you going to be ok?"

Gabe didn't respond as he sat back and stared at the sea of stars in front of him. _'Why did I have that memory and why am I such a coward.' _he thought to himself sadly. These thoughts plagued him as he settled into a dreamless sleep.

-Scene Change-

"Great...we just got himself believing in himself and now its down in the dump again." Cayde said as he watched Gabe almost run out the door.

"Then shouldn't he do something else? That just proves that he doesn't have the drive to be a Guardian." Theresa said as Ikora sighed.

"He's already been accepted so he can't back out." Ikora said as Theresa only shook her head.

"I have to question his abilities as well. He just seems to be too young to handle what we do." Avora said as Zavala sighed.

"Nonetheless, he is still your teammate and you need to trust him." Zavala said as Theresa frowned.

"Fine...but don't expect us to hold his hand." Theresa said as Ikora nodded.

"Its not expected at all." Ikora stated as Theresa sighed in relief.

"We are having a leader aren't we?" Avora asked as Cayde nodded.

"One of my best Hunters will be your acting leader. He is one an assignment today so you will meet him tomorrow." Cayde said as Avora nodded.

"You both might want to apologize to him tomorrow as well. We'll give you all tomorrow off after you meet your Fireteam leader so you all can know who is who." Cayde said as Avora nodded again and Theresa grunted.

"Is his quarters near here?" Avora asked as Cayde nodded.

"Yea but I doubt he would be there. He has taken to sleeping in orbit when he gets a little depressed and wants to be alone. I wouldn't recommend going near him until tomorrow." Cayde replied as Avora walked out after a quick goodbye.

"Well since I'm going to be tied to a kid from now on I guess I better see what bounties are left." Theresa said as she too left the area.

Cayde watched them leave before turning to the other two. "Did they have to be so obvious in pointing out his one flaw?"

Zavala sighed. "Apparently they did."

"Here's to hoping they learn to work together or this will turn out very bad." Ikora said as Cayde nodded and went to send a message to a certain Guardian.

-With The Stranger-

"He needs a lot of help it seems." The Stranger said into her comm link. "He made a decent amount of progress but it seems to have been shot down." An inaudible reply followed.

"I understand, I will continue to observe him as well as the other candidates." She spoke as the channel closed. She turned her eyes back to the sky as she gazed at where Gabe was currently resting. "You need to be stronger than this Guardian, the Darkness is closing in on all of us and you must be ready to face it head on. I now you have it in you but you must find in for yourself." With that she disappeared into the night.

**And I will end it there for now. We get to meet the new team and we will meet the final member next time and get to another mission as well. It also appears that all three ladies are now on the field but two of them have no confidence or faith in Gabe at the moment. Is he going to rise to the occasion or fail like many predict he would? Find out next time!**


End file.
